EARLVILLE – Village of Earlville approved a $3.4 million water system improvement project Tuesday.
A total of 243 residents voted yesterday, while another 20 had filed absentee or affidavit ballots. When the votes were totaled, the project passed 157 to 86 – not counting the absentee ballots.
The Village of Earlville has been discussing a water project for years. Due to the age of the cast iron pipes that make up most of the water system, village water in many areas contains sediment and looks brown. Corrosion in the pipes has caused a decrease in water pressure that has caused many of the village’s fire hydrants to become inoperable. The proposed project would address those and other issues.
“For decades Village of Earlville residents have wanted a water project. I, Trustee [Mark] Doeberl, Trustee [Kim] Boomhower and Trustee [William] Excell have worked very hard for the constituents of this community. This water project will benefit the entire community, and we will continue to work for this project and to bring it to them at a cost they can afford in these difficult economic times,” Mayor Toni Campbell said.
Boomhower and Campbell both gave credit to the hard work of the water committee in getting the project approved. Campbell said she wanted to thank the water committee, made up of Nancy Schell, Jim and Joelle Faulks, David Levitt and Daniel Piliero; the Planning Board and all of the residents of the community who demanded that government work for them.
Boomhower said he has been working toward getting the water project passed ever since he first took office. “I ran on water and I will continue to run on water until the last new pipe is in the ground,” Boomhower said. He explained that the water issues have worsened over the years, effecting more and more of the households in the village. “I’m so proud of the water committee and the residents who were adamant about this project.” Boomhower also commended the work of the mayor, Village Clerk Christian Vischi, Fire Chief David Baird and all the members of the fire department who supported the project.
“I’m so excited for the fire hydrants,” Excell said. Currently, many of the fire hydrants are covered with bags and cannot be used. “The bags are coming off and hopefully this will draw more people to live in the community,” Excell said.
The water project went up for a public vote after a petition signed by 134 members of the community was submitted to the village office. The petitioners requested the right to vote on the proposed project, but another village resident submitted a letter objecting to the petition. Both the letter and the petition were turned over to the Supreme Court for a final decision. Judge Elizabeth Garry ruled in favor of the petition. “I’m glad this whole ordeal is over,” said Trustee Gerald Hayes. “I’m pleased that people had the opportunity to express their opinions and vote for this project.
Doeberl said he is ecstatic with the results of the vote. “This proves for the residents of Earlville that those who voted the board into office with the hope of true water system rehabilitation that their faith in the board was justified. It’s clear we knew what was desired and acted accordingly,” Doeberl said. Doeberl cited the nearly 2 to 1 margin of the vote as a good measure of what the constituents wanted. “This funding packet is quite possibly a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Doeberl said of the $500,000 grant and $2.9 million loan from USDA’s Rural Development. The loan will be paid back over a 38-year period with a fixed interest rate of 2.75 percent. “I’m elated with the number of voters and I look forward to the next step in the process,” Doeberl said.
According to Campbell, the ground breaking for the project is expected in the late summer or early fall. The project will take nearly a year to complete.